“Cancer never sleeps and neither should we,” said Mitchell Pace, teacher at FCHS, when telling about the American Cancer Society’s biggest fundraiser. That’s the idea behind Relay for Life. Relay for Life is an overnight community fundraising walk where teams camp out around a track as at least one member of each team walks the track and the members switch off throughout the night. As members walk the track, there are games and other activities to help bring the community together for this wonderful cause.

This amazing event started in Tacoma, Washington in May of 1985 when Dr. Gordy Klatt walked and ran around a track for 24 straight hours. Ultimately, he raised $27,000 for the American Cancer Society. The next year, 340 people joined the event and since then, this event has spread worldwide and has raised more than $4 billion.

The event begins with the Survivor’s Lap. Here, all of the cancer survivors at the event take the first lap to celebrate their victory in their fight against cancer. Another portion of the event includes the Luminaria Ceremony. After nightfall candles are lit and placed around the track, glowing to honor those who have been lost to cancer, and those who still battle against it. A third part of the relay is the Fight Back Ceremony. This is a powerful ceremony that inspires the participants to take action for family, friends, themselves, and the entire community in the struggle against cancer.

On June 8, teams from Fluvanna will be starting their own Relay for Life at the middle school track at 4 p.m. and will not stop walking until the next morning. So far there are 38 teams (245 participants) who have raised nearly $20,000.

One of those teams includes one created by the FCHS Beta Club. “It’s really awesome to see this group of young adults come together for such a great cause,” said senior and beta club member Candice Collins.

There are also more ways to help. The beta club is selling paper balloons for the American Cancer Society that will have the name of the contributor and will be hung on a wall in the school; Mr. Pace is also selling Relay for Life t-shirts in his classroom.

Of course, someone interested in aiding the fight against cancer does not have to be confined to school fundraisers and events. They can donate money to the American Cancer Society or to other organizations that contribute to cancer research.

Helping save lives is one of the best investments a person can make and a person would be hard pressed to find a better way to invest their time.